Take your Bible and turn back to where Ken read from this morning in Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two. I don't normally preach holiday messages, you know that. Most of the time I just, whatever book I'm in, I just keep going on through a book. But you know, I make no apology. for believing in the importance of the birth of God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. But here's the thing that we have to keep in mind. God absolutely considered cannot die. But yet for our sins to be put away, one who was truly God, And yet truly man, like us, had to come into this earth in order to die, to bear our sins in his body on the tree. I don't care the perversions of religion, what they have done with Christ's birth, or his incarnation, or how they made this into some sort of Christmas story. This that Ken read to you, and this that we're gonna deal with this morning in this May in Simeon, it's not the quote unquote Christmas story. It has nothing to do with Christ's Mass. It's got everything to do with what God was in Christ doing. I think about this accomplishment. Now you talk about a miracle, never been heard of before in time, that a virgin would conceive and bear a child, bear a son. But yet it was the vehicle by which our God brought His glorious, holy, undefiled, separate from sinner's son into this world to be born, to obey, to live his life and suffer and bleed and die and accomplish redemption for all those the Father gave to him in everlasting covenant of grace. I've entitled this message this morning, Seeing, that's hard to get to that one, Seeing God's Salvation. Here's the thing, unless the Lord grants us eyes to see, Unless he gives us ears to hear, heart, mind, and will to comprehend, you will never see what Simeon saw. You understand that? You know, there's no doubt when you think about it that the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, it was prophesied and was typified all throughout the scriptures. from the very fall of mankind in Adam until his actual birth in Bethlehem that Ken read to us just a moment ago and called worship. You think about it, after the fall of man, when God came to Adam and Eve in the garden, he spoke to Satan and he said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. How quickly did that begin to come to pass at the birth of her first children? His seed, Satan's seed, who was who? Cain did bruise her seed, Abel. But listen, Abel was a justified saint. Abel was saved. He was washed in the blood, clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jacob, who later his name was changed to Israel, who had seen the Lord's Christ, he declared by the spirit of prophecy concerning his son Judah. Now think about this. He says, Judah, a lion's wail. From the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down. He couched as a lion is in an old lion who shall rouse him up. Now listen to this language. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come. Who's Shiloh? Christ. And unto him shall the gathering of the people be. To him who? To Shiloh. to the Lord Jesus Christ, all God's elect. Isn't that what our Lord said? Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. My sheep hear my voice, and they come unto me, and I give unto them eternal life. Isaiah the prophet, speaking of the Lord's Christ, wrote these words. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. and shall call his name Immanuel. And we know from over in Gospel of Matthew, the word Immanuel means what? God with us. The same Isaiah wrote of this same glorious God-man born of a virgin. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government. And the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. And thank God for these words. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. It didn't rest in man. In this chapter we're looking at today, the Lord showed himself faithful to his promise of this seed of the woman. So it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in a swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, watching over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Imagine all the promises, all the prophecies that God had given concerning this person, and here he is. Here he is. And in spite of the fact that the vast majority of national Israel misunderstood and didn't believe in the nature and scope of this spiritual promise, you know what? God was faithful to the promise that he had made to Abraham's seed, sending forth his Christ at the exact moment of his purpose plan. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. Thank God for this. to redeem them who were under the law, that those whom he redeemed out from under the law might receive the adoption of sons. Even though the majority of national Israel remained in died and unbelief, those who were gods, being taught of God, saw the Lord's Christ. How do we know that? It's written in the prophets. They shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he's seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, believes on Christ, hath, doesn't get, hath. You see, it's not if you do this, he'll do that. We believe because what have we got? We have eternal life. We see this displayed in this truth of this man, Simeon. So the question that we need to ask ourselves this morning, and the answer is a simple question, is it, have I seen God's salvation? Have I seen God's salvation? Because that's the most important thing of all. You think about this, after the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the revelation of that birth to these shepherds, we see our Lord begins his work as his people substitute and surety, fulfilling every jot and tittle of the law in their place and in their stead. Look at verse 21 through verse 24. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named to the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses was accomplished, They brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of two turtledoves are two young pigeons. You think about this, the first rite, of God's church set forth in Abraham. Now think about this. Abraham was not a Jew. You hear me? National Jew. What was Abraham? He was from Ur of Chaldea. He was what we would consider a Gentile. And yet God called this one man, this man Abraham, out of his father's house and called him unto himself. And one of the first rights he gave to him is his chosen seed. was this right of circumcision. Listen to this, this is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you and he, now listen, he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you. Every male child in your generation that is born in the house are bought with money of a stranger, which is not of thy seed." How many days? Eight days. What does our text say? And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the child. Why is it so important that the Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised? Well, you think about this. Seeing that our Lord was circumcised, think, he became a debtor to the whole law. Paul wrote this, for I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law. This right proved Christ to be under the law and a son of Abraham according to the flesh. And with Christ this right of circumcision ceased for all those whom he represented. Think about this. Paul said in that same chapter where he talks about that every man be circumcised, he's debtor to the whole law, he says this, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. To every man that does one thing, what? Beliefs. He said over in Galatians also that if you be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. Now, are there contradictions in the Word of God? Is God saying one thing in one place and then turning away from it in another place? No, what he's saying is this. If you think that circumcision, those Jews that he was writing to, thought that their circumcision made a difference between life and death, Christ is no prophet. Why? You are deader to do the whole law. if you're under the right of circumcision. See, that's the thing that most men and women cannot and do not understand about the law of God. It's not simply the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone. The law of God is a system. In its entirety, it includes the Ten Commandments, it includes the 635 ceremonial laws, it includes the priesthood and the temple and all the sacrifices and all the ceremonies, all the holy days, Passover, all of it is included. And you don't just pick and choose what you want to out of that law. If you're gonna be under the law, you have to get under it in its entirety, all of it. But think about it, by Christ's obedience to this right, he became a debtor to fulfill the whole law as a surety and substitute of every single solitary elect sinner whom he represented. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, by his obedience unto death, through this right of circumcision as well as the entirety of God's law, by his obedience unto death, he freed his church. But that no man is justified in the sight of God, Justified by the law and the sight of God, it's evident. The just shall live how? The righteous live by faith. And I always think about that. It doesn't say that we get just by living. And that word just is literally translated as righteous. The righteous by faith live. We live trusting in Christ, his blood, his righteousness. The law's not a faith, Paul wrote, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it's written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessings of Abraham might come on Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Christ's work is our surety. substitute and mediator and high priest, it required his obedience in our stead in all things." Everything that was required of us. You know what? Christ fulfilled it all. But I want us to pay attention, careful attention, to the narrative in this story concerning this man Simeon. Look at verse 25. Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem. whose name was Simeon, the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him." What we have recorded in these words is a testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning the reality of that faith which is a gift of God in this man, Simeon. The writer declares of Simeon that he was just and he was devout and he was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Ghost was upon him. That word translated just is the same one when it says the just shall live by faith and it means righteous, innocent, faultless, or guiltless. Are you telling me this man wasn't a sinner? Oh yeah, he was still a sinner. By God's grace, you know what he was? He was righteous, he was innocent, he was faultless, and he was guiltless. And everyone that is in Christ, they are exactly the same. You are complete in him. That word devout means reverence in God. But it also says that Simeon was waiting, which means looking for or expecting the consolation or the deliverance of Israel. And what that is, that's a reference to Messiah or the great comfort of the people. But it also tells us something that's extremely important. It tells us that the Holy Ghost wasn't in him. What was it? It was upon him. In other words, the Holy Ghost was upon him not in an ordinary or common way as it is with all those who are called by God's grace because we know from what Romans 8 tells us that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, none he is. but we have the Spirit of God living in us by His grace. But what it's talking about here is that, you think about it, from the time of the close of the prophets, the last prophets, until this time, this particular time in history, 400 years, there was total silence with no prophecy, no preachers, no declaration from Malachi in the name. Yet with the conception and the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophecy is again present to the Jews in the instances of Zechariah, remember him prophesying? Elizabeth, his wife, prophesied by the Holy Spirit. Mary, the mother of Christ, she prophesied by the Holy Spirit. And this man Simeon prophesies by the Holy Spirit. All this teaches us that Simeon was a justified sinner, one counted as righteous, and devoted to God based on the work of his promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what the scriptures recorded concerning that sinful man, Lot? It says, and delivered just Lot. That doesn't mean only Lot. The word just is the same word that speaks of Simeon. delivered righteous Lot. Now think about where Lot was at. He's in Sodom and Gomorrah. According to what the Scriptures tell us, he vexed his righteous soul every day while he was in that place. And delivered just Lot For that righteous man dwelleth among them, and seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. This just man Simeon had a revelation from God. It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. You know, we have no promise of tomorrow. This guy did, Kenny. This guy could get up every morning of his life until I see God's Christ, because God's faithful to his promise. I will not die. I will not die. That word reveal means to be divinely commanded, admonished, or instructed. What a glorious promise. You're not going to die until you see God's Christ. By God-given faith, he had rested in the promised Messiah as his savior and mediator and redeemer and consoler. The promised Messiah, the Lord, the Holy Ghost, graciously revealed to him that he would physically see the consolation of Israel, the one who had been expecting before he died. And you listen to me. All God's elect in every generation, we have the same promise. We will not die until we see the Lord's Christ as the Lord our righteousness. When he said, my sheep hear my voice, and they come to me, and they'll never perish, I'm telling you, not one of God's sheep can miss glory, not one. One thing we can be assured of is God's children, the Lord's faithful to his promise. When I think about God's faithfulness, I always think about Paul's words concerning Abraham, the father of the faithful. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And I would to God that I, myself, and you, all of us, could be more like Abraham and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, He was also able to perform. It does not, my salvation does not depend on me. Never has, never will. It's not my preaching, it's not my praying, it's not my giving, it's not any change in my outward character and conduct. It has never, you hear me, it has never depended on me. It's depended on the God who made the promise. That verse runs through my mind all the time for lamentation. It's of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed. His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great His faithfulness. Aren't you thankful for that? How faithful are you? I mean, let's make this thing personal. If it defended on my faithfulness, I'm gone. If I'm honest, great His faithfulness. Simeon believed God as well, just like Abraham, and according to God's faithfulness, the time's come. You know what he's about to see? He's gonna see the Lord's Christ. Look at verse 27. And he came by the Spirit in the temple. See, the Spirit was upon him. How'd he come to the temple? Think about the probability of him being here at the exact time that this person comes on the scene. You think our God's not into small details? He moved this man to go to the temple at this exact moment. Truly, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. And when Simeon, now notice what it says now, He came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child, Jesus do for him after the custom of the law. Look at verse 28. Then Simeon took him up in his arms and blessed God. When Simeon saw this child, this infant, He took him up in his arms and he blessed God and said, Lord, think about this, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. God had promised him, you will not die till you see God's Christ. Your word, your promise. Notice it, my eyes, what have they seen? I've seen not my salvation, I've seen your salvation, thy salvation. That's important. Being overjoyed at God's faithfulness, Simeon took Christ out of their arms and holding his Messiah in his arms, he blessed God. That word bless means to praise or to celebrate with praise. And I tell you, I can't begin to imagine and I can't express in words the rapture joy that filled that old man Simeon's heart and filled his mouth with praise as he picked up that person and held him in his arms. Now, I've never seen Christ, have you? I've never heard his voice. I've never heard an audible voice. But I tell you, by God-given faith, I see him as much as Simeon did, don't you? Simeon could have just said, I've seen my salvation. That'd been true, wouldn't it? But he says, I've seen your salvation. Why did he state it like that? He's moved by the Holy Spirit. Because you think about this, all of this was God's plan and purpose. We know that by the next words that come out of his mouth. He said, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Where does he see this? All he's got's an infant. A baby. Think about the... A baby can't do anything. This person that was in his arms, though he was Lord of all, he could not feed himself. He had been brought there by his mother. He was changed by his mother. He was taught and instructed by his mother. His mother and his father watched over this person. And yet he holds this innocent, incapable of doing anything child, and he sees God's salvation in it. How can that be? There's only one way. It's by faith. which is a gift of God. These all died in faith, not having received the promises. Those Old Testament saints, they didn't receive the fulfillment of it, but they saw it afar off. And don't we see it afar off back yonder? We see our salvation by God's grace through His Word as it stretches not just back to the cross or to the birth. Where does our salvation have its origin? In the mind, will, and purpose of God Almighty. I will never forget as long as I live when Scott stood here back in our Bible conference and made that statement from Romans chapter 9, for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil. Before they did anything, God wasn't looking down through time with a periscope, seeing what some sinner would do, and then based on what that sinner would do, he would react to it. No, before they had done any good or evil, that, listen to this, that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it's written, where? In the Old Testament. As it's written, here it is, this is God Almighty speaking, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated, before they done any good or any evil. That's God's sovereign will and right purpose. And who are you, O man, that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why did you make me this way? God is in absolute control. They saw it afar off, and not only did they see it, think about it, they were persuaded. Who persuaded them? It's not like we used to sing in false religion, almost persuaded. No, when God persuades, you're persuaded. How do we know they were persuaded? They embraced. They embraced the promises. And they confessed. What did they confess? That they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth, for they that say such things declare plainly. What were they doing? They were seeking the same thing you and I are seeking. They're seeking a country. And it ain't the USA. And it's not Israel. What country are we seeking? Jerusalem that's above. That's the one we're going toward, right? That's our hope. Simeon declared that God's salvation is that which was prepared before the face of all people. The Apostle Paul wrote the preparation by our God. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even a hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world. You hear that? He ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of the world knew, for had they known it, if they had known what was being accomplished, what would they have done? They would have not crucified the Lord of glory. But as it's written, I have not seen or ear heard, neither hath entered in the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. But, listen to this, God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. You think about that, the things which God hath prepared. That word hath prepared's the same word that Simon used, that God, that prepared. Same exact word. And it means to send men to clear or level the road in preparation for a king's arrival. You'd never get that out of that word, would you? Or better, to prepare the minds of men to give Messiah a fit reception. Remember Lydia in the book of Acts? What did the Lord do for her? Then the Lord opened Lydia's heart. What'd he do? He opened Lydia's heart that she would bow to and submit to the words of the gospel that Paul preached. I'm telling you, you don't figure this out on your own. You didn't come to a decision about Jesus. You know this Christ, he dragged you to himself. You hear me? God had done this preparation before the world by his promises. He'd done it through his holy law. He revealed it by all the prophets. John the Baptist, and all of them pointed to the same place. Where'd they point to? Messiah, the promised one, the savior of the world. But Simeon went further. He said, a light to lighten agenda. which means that Messiah was a revelation of his mercy and grace and love to his people, his chosen, even among the Gentile. And you think about this, even though God's Christ was promised and prophesied about to Israel for hundreds of years, and even though he came from Israel, was born in Israel, had taught them and performed miracles and wonders among them, For the most part, what did Israel do as a nation? They rejected him. But the Lord graciously, out of that group, you know what? He reserved a remnant of Abraham's natural seed, and he joined them to his people from every kindred, nation, tongue, and people, which was truly the glory of his people that Simeon speaks about here. Paul wrote, except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed. We would have been like Sodom and we would have been like Gomorrah. Go find those two places. It was the Lord's mercy that any out of Israel was saved. So all God's elect, his chosen, both Jew and Gentile, they owe their salvation to the same glorious person. But here's the question. We'll end with this this morning. Have you seen the Lord's Christ? Have you seen it? I can tell you this much, if you hadn't seen him, and I'm not talking about an image on a wall, or on a piece of toast, or a sculpture bleeding somewhere, if you hadn't seen God's Christ, you don't know him. You hear me? Almighty God has to teach you, he has to teach his people, he has to teach them about themselves, he has to teach them about himself, And that's exactly what he does by his preaching of his gospel. It is written in the prophets, they shall be all taught of God. Not taught of man, taught of God. Every man that hath heard, heard what? That God is so holy he will not overlook the least of sin and the best of man. And hath learned of the Father, what? He will by no means clear the guilty. What do they do? Start trying harder. No, they come unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath. Hath everlasting life. Ask yourself this and we'll close. Have I seen the Lord's Christ? I tell you, by God's grace, you've seen him. You know what? You know him. And not only do you know him, but you love him. And like old Simeon, you take him up in the arms of faith, as you all in all, praising God for his infinite mercy and grace to you as the chief of sinners. Paul said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus Came into the world. How did he come here? As a baby. Right? Came into the world. What did he come here for? To show us the way. Oh no. To save sinners. What kind of sinners? Who does God justify? Who does God make righteous? Abraham believed on him who justified the ungodly. To save sinners of whom I am. What? May the Lord bless that to your heart, mind, understanding. We thank you for your presence. Let's stand together. We'll be dismissed. See you next Sunday, regular times, at the Lord's Table. All of you who would dismiss us, please.